Thursday, October 31, 2013

With three races to go, NASCAR is calling the race for the championship the closest race in NASCAR history. That's a little unfair considering that pre-new-points era, the points structure was so different that it's like comparing how fast light is, versus how fast a car is.

For example, in their "One race to go" chart, they have Darrell Waltrip 2 points over Richard Petty as the closest points margin. This was back in 1979.

The next closest is 3 points with Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart.

But Carl and Tony's gap is three positions apart by today's standards, while the Waltrip/Petty gap was less then one position.

-

W

t5

t10

Matt Kenseth

2294

7

10

18

Jimmie Johnson

2294

5

14

21

Jeff Gordon

2267

-27

1

8

17

Kevin Harvick

2266

-28

3

8

18

Kyle Busch

2258

-36

4

16

20

Clint Bowyer

2239

-55

0

9

17

Dale Earnhardt Jr

2238

-56

0

7

19

Greg Biffle

2236

-58

1

4

13

Kurt Busch

2219

-75

0

10

15

Carl Edwards

2218

-76

2

9

16

Joey Logano

2209

-85

1

10

16

Ryan Newman

2188

-106

1

6

16

Kasey Kahne

2170

-124

2

9

12

But be it as it may, if tied is close, so be it. It's a great tension builder, that's for sure. And mathematically, everyone is still in it. But realistically, I'm looking at everyone who is one-race's worth of points within the lead. And that narrows it down to the top-5 drivers.

But both point leaders, Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson are 27 points ahead of the next guy, Jeff Gordon, so the focus is on these guys.

But even though Jimmie and Matt are tied, with the tie-breaker going to Matt, Jimmie has caught Matt because four races ago, he was 9 points out of first. And Jeff Gordon was 39 points out of first.

If you do the math, Jeff is coming on strong and Jimmie is overtaking Kenseth.

But these next three tracks can make or break these guys.

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So how did my predictions from earlier in the chase do?

I was looking at Johnson, Harvick and Kyle Busch as contending for the championship. Well at least my selected drivers are in the top half of the field.

And Johnson is leaning on Kenseth, keeping him honest or more conservative. Depending on how you look at it. Either way, it should be interesting when Homestead comes around.

Remember that flying wrench last weekend at Martinsville, when the truth about how Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress feel about each other came out?

Well, it ain't cool to throw wrenches at people folks. Yes, I know. Common sense dictates such things, but in the heat of the moment in sporting events, you need your opinion expressed in the most vocal of fashions. And in this case, the point was being made with what was at hand... a very large wrench.

NASCAR apparently did not take lightly to the pit stall equipment flight pattern and has dealt out some penalties in association with the flying metal:

via press release

{

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 31, 2013) –Penalties
have been issued to the No. 3 team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck
Series following last weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway.

The
team has been penalized for violating Sections 12-1 (Actions
detrimental to stock car racing; throwing an object at a competitor’s
race truck) and 9-4A: (The Crew Chief assumes responsibility for the
actions of his/her Driver, Truck Owner and team members). The
infractions occurred during the race on Saturday, October 26.

As a result of these violations, crew chief Paul (Marcus) Richmond has been fined $10,000 and crew member Adam Brown has
been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR.

Jeff Gordon won the Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 Powered by Kroger at Martinsville Speedway. This was his 88th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. Prior to the green flag, no cars dropped to the rear of the field.

2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series Schedule

via press release:

"

Changes
to next season’s schedule include three date shifts from the 2013
edition: Darlington Raceway will hold its race a month earlier (April
11), while the first Iowa Speedway event is now slated for May 18 (it had previously been held in June). Texas Motor Speedway’s date moved one week earlier in the calendar to April 4; the Texas and Darlington date changes coincide with the 2014 NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series schedule released earlier this week. Chicagoland Speedway’s standalone event on July 19 will return to a night race for the first time since hometown driver Justin Allgaier won there in 2011.

Daytona International Speedway hosts the season opener on Feb. 22 while the series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway is set for Nov. 15.
Six “standalone”
dates are also included on the 2014 schedule. These races have been a
major part of the series’ identity throughout its history, putting the
spotlight squarely on series regulars vying for the championship. Iowa
Speedway will host two standalones (May 18 and
Aug. 2), along with Chicagoland, Kentucky Speedway (Sept. 20), Road
America and Mid-Ohio.

"

Old news? Sure... but I'm putting out because it was in my list of thing to do! -B

We know Kevin Harvick is leaving RCR for Stewart Haas Racing. I never suspected anything but the best for the move. But over the years, rumors have swirled around the Harvick/RCR relationship. I always thought it was just noise.

Then this last weekend, the Truck Series race seems to have brought out some interesting commentary from Harvick about TY Dillon and RCR. And though it was surprising, it did not shock me to hear what Kevin Harvick had to say.

And this, in my mind, was not Kevin's best move, as far as leaving parting shots like this when exiting a team. But then again, he does spat out what's on his mind.

In a nutshell, Harvick and Dillon tangled fenders racing for the second spot in the Truck race on Saturday. They took each other out of contention. Then Ty repeatedly showed his frustration by bumping Harvick's truck.

What was interesting was the radio chatter from Richard Childress himself, telling Ty to “turn (Harvick’s) ass over."

Harvick also had a sledge hammer tossed at his truck by an RCR crew member. (OK, THAT was stupid.)

But then the "Harvick sound off" came after that in subsequent interviews... which amounted to him calling out a few points about RCR

He called both Dillon brothers rich, "punk-ass kids" and finished up most of the noise with this being the reason he's leaving RCR.

“You've got those kids coming up, and they've got no respect for what they do in this sport. They've had everything fed to them with a spoon."

I guess he forgot who trusted him with the No. 29 (prioviously No. 3) car in those fateful, sad days?

Dang.

And of course, the next day Kevin apologized for his words.

Childress said he'll say what he has to say, to his face and not to the media. And further added that despite familial help, drivers have to make it work, no matter what's handed to them.

-

It was a surprise but then again, we've seen Harvick (and Childress) go off on folks. But Harvick took it to the more personal level, as far as Childress is concerned. Though if you look at most driver spats, don't they always get personal in some derogatory way?

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Kyle Larson has had two Sprint Cup Series starts, both ending prematurely.

At Charlotte, his motor gave up, at Martinsville, his back end gave up the ghost.

It
got this question in my mind... if these premature race endings come
from karma, bad luck or inexperience in a Cup Series car?

Karma?:

My
first exposure to Kyle was when we won three races in one weekend at
one track. All pretty much in what I call, "Carl Edwards fashion,"
wrecking someone to catch the checkers. That was my first exposure to
the kid.

Inexperience?:

I'm not saying he's inexperienced, in the realm of racing. But these failures are also
failures you see inexperienced drivers do. If they're all pedal, and
all go/no-go, sometimes that trashes engines and components. And not
quite knowing how to master the techniques of a Cup car, maybe that was a
factor.

Luck?:

More than likely, it's just bad, bad luck for his two Cup starts.

-

He's got some great raw talent and we'll be seeing him in the Sprint Cup field behind the wheel of an EGR car in 2014.

Too
bad. I don't have the most faith in any EGR team, but who knows, right
chemistry, timing, it could happen for both EGR and Kyle Larson.